Fighter jet crashes near Iraq-Syria border

A Syrian Air Force jet fighter has crashed in eastern Syria. State media states it was a result of "technical problems" whilst the FSA opposition say they shot it down.

BBC and The Global and Mail report that the pilot managed to eject. The rebels claim to have captured him. They have released a video claiming to show the pilot a man named Mufid Mohammed Suleiman being held hostage by three armed men, he claims that his "mission was to bomb the town of Muhasen," which is in Deirr Ezzor near the Iraqi frontier with eastern Syria.

Rebels also released a video showing what they claim to be the Syrian Air Force MiG-23 'Flogger' jet fighter spiraling into flames. As of writing this video hasn't been independently verified. However footage released by the FSA of the downed jet clearly show camouflage markings which are consistent with ones painted on Syrian Air Force planes.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights state that this jet was shot down by rebels who managed to do so using a heavy machine gun.

Video of the incident

This incident represents an apt time to ponder the capabilities of the FSA to down helicopters and planes belonged to Syria's air force (fighter jets are being used more by the Syrian military in its bombardment of entrenched rebel positions in Aleppo).

SA-7 portable missile launchers may have been commandeered by the rebels from Syrian Army stocks. In fact just earlier this week a photo was posted online showing an activist wielding an SA-7 portable anti-aircraft missile system.